Information technology, improved access and use of prescription drugs
: Böckerman Petri, Kortelainen Mika, Laine Liisa, Nurminen Mikko, Saxell Tanja
Publisher: Oxford University Press
: 2024
: Journal of the European Economic Association
: JEEA
: 23
: 1
: 396
: 430
: 1542-4766
: 1542-4774
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvae034
: https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvae034
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/386951194
We estimate the effects of health information technology designed to improve access to medication while limiting overuse through easier prescription renewal and improved information provision. We focus on benzodiazepines, a commonly prescribed class of mental health and insomnia medications, which are highly effective but potentially addictive. We study the staggered rollout of a nationwide electronic prescribing system over four years in Finland and use population-wide, individual-level administrative data sets. We find that e-prescribing increases average benzodiazepine use due to increased prescription renewals. The increase is most pronounced for younger patients. E-prescribing can improve the health of elderly patients and may help to balance the access-overuse trade-off. Without additional monitoring for addiction in place, it may, however, also have unintended health consequences for younger patients, who are more likely to develop mental and behavioral health disorders.